Finally! On leave at home after ITR in 1967. Brand new PFC. Welcome home dinner with everyone there, said Grace, digging in to Moms wonderful chow that I’ve missed so much. I asked for someone to pass the salt in between forkfuls when suddenly all movement seized and no sound was made, utter quiet. I instantly realized what happened. My request for the salt included that four letter word which had become part of my regular vocabulary. My sincere apologies were accepted with a lot of laughter, smiles and a couple of frowns. That “slip of the tongue “ at 17 taught me a lesson I’ve practiced ever since. There’s Marine Corps talk and Civilian talk, Engage brain before opening mouth.
Author: Jerry Henrichs
The Difference Of The Uniforms
Here are a couple pictures of a friend of mine’s father taken in 1948. He passed away on Easter Sunday April 23, 1986. His name was Richard Leroy Rankin Sr. After the war he went on to Graduate and married my friend’s mother. I know today he stands proud as he helps Guard the Gates of Heaven,
Military Police
I went to San Diego MCRD for boot camp, and one day the Drill Instructor yelled smoke break, but for the non-smokers We had to continue doing what We were told to do. So one day I requested to speak to the Senior Drill Instructor and inquiring why if you smoke you get a break, but if you don’t you have to work , (of course I didn’t use I or You, that would be hell to pay) but the Senior Drill Instructor stated from this time forward, during smoke breaks all Marines would get a 10 minute break. Also We were wearing Satines Uniforms the ugly ass forest green ones, and after boot camp the Marine Corps upgraded to camouflage Uniforms, for which I had to pay for. A lot has changed in the Marine Corps, but once a Marine always a Marine! Semper Fidelis OooRah!
Buck Sgt.
I joined the Marine Corps in May, 1954 on my 17th birthday..I went thru boot camp in San Diego
The Korean war had ended just 10 months prior…we were told it would start again”any minute”
I ended up in Camp Fuji Japan and was assigned to G Co. 3rd Btn, 3rd Reg.,3rd Div…I Loved
the infantry & was an Expert Rifleman…I rose to the rank of Sgt. & was a squad leader.We were
ready to go, anywhere, anytime…nothing happened during my 4yr enlistment.
I was discharged in May,’58 & had a career in Law Enforcement.
I loved the Marine Corps & still stay in touch with an old boot camp buddy
The highlight of my Enlistment was a landing exercise on Iwo Jima in 1956. We were the
first Marines to set foot on the island since the invasion..You wouldn’t believe the things
we found .
I had a buddy take my picture on the monument where the flag was raised..It was nothing
fancy then…just a simple monument…But as for Iwo…believe it or not…you could still
smell the battle after only 11yrs….Thank You
Funny – but accurate
One of the things I had noticed about my older brother when he came home on leave after boot camp was that his vocabulary had changed. Four letter words seemed to dominate his speech when mom wasn’t around. This transformation seems to be fairly common. After 13 weeks of boot camp, during which about half of all communication coming down from your DIs is expletives, the most common verb, pronoun and adjective in your vocabulary becomes the crude, four letter word most commonly used to describe a most beautiful and natural function of mankind. All Marines have heard the story of the young Marine home fresh from boot camp. Previously quite outgoing, he is strangely quiet during the first, special, homecoming dinner – attended by favorite aunts, uncles, grandparents and siblings, all beaming with pride at their young Marine. Mom, sensing some tenseness, asks “Johnny, you are being very quiet. Is there something wrong?” Johnny responds “No, Mom. I’m just afraid if I talk too much, I’ll f**k up!”
Excerpt from “SH*TIBIRD! How I Learned To Love The Corps”
Rockets
The freight trains in the story in Feb 1967 were rockets fired from an island in the river where 1 st Marines, 5th Marines, and 3rd tanks shared a TAOR. I was out on an ambush from 1st Marine Regiment when they were fired. I remember the first time we heard them and thought “What the hell was that?”. Told the 6 over the radio about rockets being fired and he said “They don’t have rockets.” and I replied “Tell that to the guys at Danang,” Coincidentally Dog Patch was vacant that night!
Smoking when Lamp was out
I too went through Boot Camp at Parris Island, but in 1961. My platoon, 144, had excelled in all phases on the island. A marine in our platoon chose to light up and smoked a cigarette while on fire watch during the night. He was caught by our senior drill instructor who had him arrested and thrown into the brig. I was a squad leader and my drill instructor spoke to me as an equal for the first time asking if I felt his action was too harsh for the violation. I was aware his intent was to impress the marine his unapproved action could get him and his fellow marines killed in a combat zone. I was stunned by his request and honored at the same time treating me as an equal as your senior drill instructor at Parris Island had held a rank just beneath your Lord and Savior.
Different boot camp times
MCRD 1956
Having gone through boot in 1956 it’s apparent that things have changed today. We were’nt asked to vote on anything, we were just ordered what to do and replied “Sir, yes sir”. I was a smoker and as I recall hearing “The smoking lamp is lit” was the signal for the only time to relax for 10 minutes away from the constant grind. The platoon was comprised of both smokers and non smokers and when the lamp was lit the smokers smoked and the non smokers did’nt. Of course that was long ago before some people thought that they had the right to impose their views on everyone else. I’m 81 today and thank God for when I was born and for the times I was blessed to live in. Semper Fi.
1st 72 Hours (part 2)
For whatever reason, probably my lack of computer skills, my posting stopped when one new recruit got a tattoo in Atlanta. The rest of the story is as follows: When we got on the bus in Atlanta there were several other guys who were also headed to P I and we picked up a few more at different stops along th way
Getting caught
San Diego ’62 Platoon 158. At the rifle range one recruit (not me) thought he could sneak out after lights out and climb into the rafters in the head and smoke. Well he got caught, the next day, in front of the entire Platoon they put a bucket on his head and another bucket filled with water on the ground. They told him to smoke and drink the water with the bucket on his head. To this day I’ve never seen anyone puke so much, and the Platoon wasn’t punished!!!